Reece James has admitted that missing out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has stayed with him ever since that painful moment.
The Chelsea captain was left devastated after being excluded from the England squad due to a serious knee injury suffered two months before the tournament.
Despite returning to full training ahead of the Qatar finals, then England manager Gareth Southgate decided James posed too great a risk to include in the squad.
A heartbroken James was left watching his international teammates from home on television as England progressed to the quarter-finals of that tournament.
Now the Chelsea skipper will finally get his opportunity, as part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad which has travelled to North America for final preparations ahead of the tournament.
James, who will be participating in his first-ever World Cup, spoke candidly about how the Qatar heartbreak has driven him forward in the years since.
He said: “It’s been on my mind since 2022, to be honest. Because I missed out on (Qatar) and my dream is to play in the World Cup, to lift the World Cup and to help my country.”
James added: “Ever since then, I’ve had my eyes on this one – and I’ve tried to do everything I can to work towards it.”
The Chelsea captain helped his club win the Club World Cup in the United States last summer, an experience he believes has prepared him well for what lies ahead.
Speaking to British GQ, James reflected on how that Club World Cup experience gave him valuable insight into the conditions England will face this summer.
He said: “I thought about it a lot. The climate conditions, the pitch. It’s difficult to go over there in the middle of summer, especially when we play in England where the weather’s not so perky.”
James continued: “So to get used to the conditions a year before (meant) I can take a lot going forward. Not much replicates that feeling (of winning).”
The Chelsea captain also reflected on what football means to him personally, expressing just how much he cherishes representing both club and country at the highest level.
He said: “This is what I’ve done for 20-odd years. It was always my dream to play football at the highest level, to play for Chelsea and England for as long as I can. So I’m living my dream every day.”
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